MyCiTi bus attack costs at R22m

2018-12-20 06:01

Luvuyo Mjekula

Five MyCiTi buses have been set alight and four damaged in the past two months, resulting in losses amounting to about R22m.

“All-in-all, five MyCiTi buses have been burnt out in petrol bomb attacks since 15 October to date, and another four buses have been damaged in similar foiled attempts,” said the City of Cape Town’s Mayco member for transport, Felicity Purchase.

Purchase said losses associated with the attacks amount to approximately R22m and all the cases are under police investigation.

She was responding to yet another attack on a MyCiTi bus, this time in Woodstock, on Monday 10 December.

The incident took place in Roodebloem Road at about 21:30 on Monday night when two men stopped the bus travelling towards Cape Town, according to Woodstock police spokesperson, Sergeant Hilton Malila.

“It has been alleged that two men stopped the bus on the corner of Lawley and Roodebloem and after the driver stopped they just started to spray the bus with petrol and set it alight,” Malila said in a statement last week.

He said there was only one passenger inside the bus, along with the driver. “The passenger managed to get out of the bus with minor wounds, whereby the driver was taken to a nearby hospital and is being treated for severe burn wounds to his body,” Malila said. City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Theo Layne, said two fire engines and a rescue vehicle were dispatched to the scene at 21:56. “The MyCiTi bus was petrol bombed. Both patients sustained burns as a result,” Layne said in a statement.

Malila said the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation and no suspects have been arrested as yet. Police have opened cases of arson, malicious damage to property and attempted murder.

Purchase condemned the “horrific” incident.

“I am extremely concerned and shocked about the senseless and cowardly petrol bomb attack on one of our MyCiTi buses in Woodstock (on Monday night) which left the bus driver and a passenger injured,” she said in a statement.

She confirmed that both the driver and the passenger were hospitalised and she conveyed her condolences and wished them a speedy recovery.

According to Purchase, one of the attackers posed as a passenger. “He was waiting at the Lawley stop in Roodebloem Road in Woodstock when he boarded the bus at around 21:45. Once inside the bus, he sprayed the cabin with petrol and jumped out. A second suspect then ignited the bus. The passenger managed to escape through one of the windows and the driver escaped through the door,” said Purchase.

She said the MyCiTi service operated at 85% of capacity during the peak-hour period of Tuesday 11 December. “We keep on monitoring the service and the City’s Law Enforcement services conduct patrols as far as possible.”

V Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigating officer, Sergeant Andre van Rensburg, on 021 486 2840 or the Transport Information Centre on 0800 656 463 so that the suspects can be arrested and prosecuted.

Five MyCiTi buses have been set alight and four damaged in the past two months, resulting in losses amounting to about R22m.

“All-in-all five MyCiTi buses have been burnt out in petrol bomb attacks since 15 October to date, and another four buses have been damaged in similar foiled attempts,” said the City of Cape Town’s Mayco member for transport, Felicity Purchase.

Purchase said losses associated with the attacks amount to approximately R22m and all the cases are under police investigation.

She was responding to yet another attack on a MyCiTi bus, this time in Woodstock, on Monday 10 December.

The incident took place in Roodebloem Road at about 21:30 on Monday night when two men stopped the bus travelling towards Cape Town, according to Woodstock police spokesperson, Sergeant Hilton Malila.

“It has been alleged that two men stopped the bus on the corner of Lawley and Roodebloem and after the driver stopped they just started to spray the bus with petrol and set it alight,” Malila said in a statement last week.

He said there was only one passenger inside the bus, along with the driver. “The passenger managed to get out of the bus with minor wounds, whereby the driver was taken to a nearby hospital and is being treated for severe burn wounds to his body,” Malila said.

City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Theo Layne, said two fire engines and a rescue vehicle were dispatched to the scene at 21:56. “The MyCiTi bus was petrol bombed. Both patients sustained burns as a result,” Layne said in a statement.

Malila said the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation and no suspects have been arrested as yet. Police have opened cases of arson, malicious damage to property and attempted murder.

Purchase condemned the “horrific” incident.

“I am extremely concerned and shocked about the senseless and cowardly petrol bomb attack on one of our MyCiTi buses in Woodstock (on Monday night) which left the bus driver and a passenger injured,” she said in a statement.

She confirmed that both the driver and the passenger were hospitalised and she conveyed her condolences and wished them a speedy recovery.

According to Purchase, one of the attackers posed as a passenger. “He was waiting at the Lawley stop in Roodebloem Road in Woodstock when he boarded the bus at around 21:45. Once inside the bus, he sprayed the cabin with petrol and jumped out. A second suspect then ignited the bus. The passenger managed to escape through one of the windows and the driver escaped through the door,” said Purchase.

She said the MyCiTi service operated at 85% of capacity during the peak-hour period of Tuesday 11 December. “We keep on monitoring the service and the City’s Law Enforcement services conduct patrols as far as possible.”

V Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigating officer, Sergeant Andre van Rensburg, on 021 486 2840 or the Transport Information Centre on 0800 656 463 so that the suspects can be arrested and prosecuted.

Five MyCiTi buses have been set alight and four damaged in the past two months, resulting in losses amounting to about R22m.

“All-in-all five MyCiTi buses have been burnt out in petrol bomb attacks since 15 October to date, and another four buses have been damaged in similar foiled attempts,” said the City of Cape Town’s Mayco member for transport, Felicity Purchase.

Purchase said losses associated with the attacks amount to approximately R22m and all the cases are under police investigation.

She was responding to yet another attack on a MyCiTi bus, this time in Woodstock, on Monday 10 December.

The incident took place in Roodebloem Road at about 21:30 on Monday night when two men stopped the bus travelling towards Cape Town, according to Woodstock police spokesperson, Sergeant Hilton Malila.

“It has been alleged that two men stopped the bus on the corner of Lawley and Roodebloem and after the driver stopped they just started to spray the bus with petrol and set it alight,” Malila said in a statement last week.

Malila adds that there was only one passenger inside the bus at the time of the attack, along with the driver.

“The passenger managed to get out of the bus with minor wounds, whereby the driver was taken to a nearby hospital and is being treated for severe burn wounds to his body,” Malila said.

City of Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Theo Layne, said two fire engines and a rescue vehicle were dispatched to the scene at around 21:55.

“The MyCiTi bus was petrol bombed. Both patients sustained burns as a result,” Layne said in a statement.

Malila said the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation and no suspects have been arrested as yet.

Police have opened cases of arson, malicious damage to property and attempted murder.

Purchase condemned the “horrific” incident­.

“I am extremely concerned and shocked about the senseless and cowardly petrol bomb attack on one of our MyCiTi buses in Woodstock (on Monday night) which left the bus driver and a passenger injured,” she said in a statement.

Purchase confirmed that both the driver and the passenger who were injured in the attack have been hospitalised.

Purchase also conveyed her condolences and wished them a speedy recovery.

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